Meeting – 09/03/16
The meeting was called to order by President Wilson and a quorum was declared. The first item on the Agenda was the review and ratification of votes taken by email since November 22, 2015. The list of votes taken by email was reviewed and discussed by the directors. Secretary Director moved to ratify the email votes, the motion was seconded and the vote was approved by all.
Votes taken by email:
- Special Event Request 21 Robins Lane – approved
- Board Meeting Minutes November – approved
- Special Event Request 51 Anchor Road – approved
- Winter Special Assessment Beach Repair – approved
- 2016 Proposed Budget – approved
- RSC Landscaping Proposal – approved
- >Board Meeting Minutes January – approved
- Caswell Drainage Proposal Holly Road – approved
- 83 Anchor Road driveway improvements – approved
- 3 Harbor Road construction application – approved
- Special Event Request 63 Anchor Road – approved
- Board Meeting Minutes Revised January – approved
- Sand Fencing Proposal – approved
- Special Event Request 61 Ocean Drive – approved
- 2 Ocean Drive landscaping – approved
- Gahagan and Bryant Dune Survey Proposal – approved
- Annual Meeting Minutes 2016 – approved
- May Meeting Minutes – approved
- 34 Farview Road Hardscape and Drainage – approved
- 34 Farview Road Plantings – approved
- 19 Robins Land Landscaping – approved
- Representation Proposal – approved
- Beach Staff End-of-Season Bonuses – approved
- 19 Robins Lane Landscaping Modifications – approved
The next item on the agenda for discussion was a proposed assessment accounting protocol. The new protocol will require that all payments received from a homeowner be applied as an overall balance, first to the oldest invoices remaining outstanding and thereafter to payment (or partial payment) of more current invoices. The protocol recognizes the fungibility of payments from homeowners, and does not permit the homeowner to selectively apply payments to specific assessments. After discussion, the Board approved the assessment accounting protocol unanimously.
Construction covenant discussion, the next item on the Agenda, included the use of concrete as a driveway edging material, buried propane tanks and private dune crossovers. Homeowners have been permitted to use impervious pavers as driveway edging material if installed with a pervious base. A discussion about the potential use of a new material — pervious concrete — concluded that more information and testing would be required before approving for use as an edging material in the future.
President Wilson reported that the North Shores covenant applying to propane tanks originally applied to above ground tanks. Modern tanks are often buried with a flat mount cap for fuel supply and are normally installed by the company contacted with by the homeowner for propane delivery. Under normal circumstances the propane company determines the location of the tank on the property. Most new homes in North Shores have a footprint that maximizes the available area for building within the 15 foot side yard setback, leaving few options for the tank to conform with the current setback requirements for propane tanks. He suggested a variance for underground tanks that comply with the national installation standard (NFGC) allowing for encroachment on the North Shores setback requirements and front yard installation of underground tanks 10 feet from the front yard North Shores right of way. The Board is considering a permanent variance for the installation of buried propane tanks within the lot setbacks and forward of the building.
The Board discussed temporary dune crossover structures. The current building standard does not allow any permanent dune crossover structures from the top of the dune forward of the DNREC building line. In the past permanent crossover approval has been limited to a disability application. Some permanent crossover structures have been installed without ARC approval and are not permitted to rebuild if damaged. Unauthorized repairs will be followed up with a letter from the Board including the unauthorized repairs made this year. Secretary Director discussed temporary crossover structures as an alternative to the permanent walkways. The temporary structures are designed to be removed at the end of the season allowing better access to the beach by those with mobility issues but still allow the dune to reconfigure over the offseason. DNREC input on this alternative will be requested before a decision is made.
The Board then met in executive session to discuss the 2016 season and recent homeowner correspondence concerning reports of a serious behavioral incident on the beach this summer.